CLAYTON, Ind. — A man arrested for stabbing his coworker to death at a Hendricks County truck stop Saturday night has been released from jail.
The Hendricks County Prosecutor's Office said the man arrested was released after it was determined he acted in self-defense.
The prosecutor's office said they extensively reviewed all witness statements, interviews, surveillance footage, evidence obtained from the scene and additional evidence collected after the incident.
Hayden Shores said he was in his car parked at the TA Travel Center near State Road 39 and Interstate 70 in Clayton, Indiana, the evening of Sept. 9 when he heard an altercation.
"I stepped outside (and) there was a gentleman who had broken things up, supposedly. The outside altercation stopped, so I went back and got my water bottle out of my car, went to go fill up my water bottle," Shores said.
While he was filling up his water bottle inside the truck stop, he heard something else.
"I heard someone in the back scream 'Oh my God, he's been stabbed!' I walked over and noticed a huge pile of blood and him lying on the ground. There were two stab wounds on the left side of his chest bleeding pretty badly," Shores said.
Shores said he and other bystanders jumped in to try and save the man's life.
"It took us about 45 compressions to get him back," Shores said.
Shores said they had to do CPR two times before the man was taken away in an ambulance.
"It was really after he got loaded on the stretcher that I stood up and staggered backwards and thought, it's over. I did all that I could do. Let's just hope he survives," Shores said.
But police said 33-year-old Darin Lee Simpson did not survive. He died shortly after arriving to the hospital.
"Nothing is worth a life of a human being. No argument warrants that," Shores said.
Shores said he'll never forget what happened, and he finds comfort knowing that they helped give Simpson a little more time.
"Really care and appreciate the people who you love and care about because (Simpson) didn't expect it. His wife didn't expect it. He was gone from 15 minutes. You never know when the last time you're going to say goodbye to someone is," Shores said.